Saturday, November 2

Day: December 23, 2019

Can you be refused entry to a country with a damaged passport?
Featured, United Kingdom

Can you be refused entry to a country with a damaged passport?

    After reality TV star Georgia Toffolo was detained in the Maldives because of missing pages in her travel document, these are the key points to follow.   A passport is supposed to last 10 years. Surely they should make an allowance for fair wear and tear? Yes, but there are limits. The UK government says: When deciding whether a passport falls under wear and tear, examiners should look at the travel history of the document multiple visas and stamps would indicate heavy use. Wear and tear is therefore more likely. The International Civil Aviation Organization, which is the global body responsible for passport standards, warns of a range of fraudulent “attacks” on travel documents. These include construction of a fraudulent document, or parts thereof, using material...
Khashoggi murder death sentences
Arab world, Featured

Khashoggi murder death sentences

    Five people have been sentenced to death over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor says. Three more have been given jail terms totalling 24 years after the murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October last year. Saudi Arabia has carried out the trials of the accused in near total secrecy after Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman drew international condemnation for the killing because several Saudi agents who worked directly for him were involved. Saudi Arabia offered a number of different explanations for what had happened in the weeks after Mr Khashoggi's death, but eventually settled on blaming 11 rogue officials during a brawl in the consulate who were put on trial. The crown prince's former top advi...
PM’s ban on BBC seen as Trumpian
Featured, United Kingdom

PM’s ban on BBC seen as Trumpian

    The editor of the flagship Today programme on Radio 4 has accused Boris Johnson of a “Trumpian” attempt to undermine the BBC after he banned ministers from appearing on the show. Sarah Sands said the move was designed to “delegitimise’ the broadcaster, likening it to the president’s notorious attacks on the US media to neutralise criticism and fire up supporters. The ban comes after the prime minister backed abolishing the BBC licence fee – and after the Conservative party declared war on Channel 4 over its general election coverage. “What's happened is that you can see the government won a big majority,” said Ms Sands, who has edited Today for nearly three years. “It sees Labour in disarray and it thinks it's a pretty good time to put the foot on the windpipe of ...